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sustainabilitySustainability


“Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It was lent to you by your children.” - Kenyan proverb


Environmental sustainability – what is it?

Sustainability is a key concept for the future of business and civilisation. Its meaning – to be able to continue indefinitely – relates to the physical environment, but the most enlightened definitions include both social and ethical dimensions.

‘Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.’ - Bruntland Report
 
Read more about our environmental policy here.


What does this mean to us?

Our strategic intent is to lead the global water industry in serving the customer and the environment, supported by our high performing business culture and continuously improving efficiency.

As human beings, we have the ability to reshape the natural world. We have taken large amounts of material from the Earth’s surface and replaced the majority of native forests and grasslands with farms and cities. We generate ever-growing amounts of waste.

In Victoria, the recent drought has shown us how much individuals, communities and organisations rely on the environment. With the knowledge of our vulnerability to drought, and the impact that increased population is having on the environment, we believe it is critical to change our ways.

As a water business, we realise that we need to respond to the crisis in our environment. But we cannot do it alone. Everyone has a role to play in changing the way we use water, minerals, fuels and other resources that nature provides us. We need to tread softly on the face of the planet that serves us all.
 

The Natural Step

We have adopted The Natural Step principles to help guide us on our journey towards sustainability.

The Natural Step is a non-profit organisation founded with the vision of creating a sustainable society. It offers a framework that is based on science and serves as a compass for businesses, communities, academia, government entities and individuals working to redesign their activities to become more sustainable.